In a Mirror, Darkly (episode)
In the mirror universe, Commander Archer mutinies against Captain Forrest in order to capture a future Earth ship found in Tholian space. (Part 1 of 2) Summary Teaser April 5th, 2063 - From beyond Earth's atmosphere, a Vulcan ship descends and lands in Bozeman, Montana. A member of the Vulcan crew disembarks and walks up to Zefram Cochrane. Holding out his hand, the alien performs a Vulcan salute and recites a Vulcan salutation - "Live long and prosper". Cochrane also holds out his hand and attempts to copy the Vulcan's salute. After his attempt is unsuccessful, he lowers his hand and, instead of holding it for a handshake (which is what happened in a similar parallel universe), he reaches into his jacket and pulls out a shotgun. He kills the Vulcan and a xenophobic man in the crowd tells everyone to board the alien ship and take everything they can. Then the crowd storms the Vulcan craft, carrying shotguns as they run. Act One :"Captain's starlog - January 13, 2155. We've left Gorlan Station and have set a course to rendezvous with our assault fleet. Major Reed and the doctor have asked for a few minutes to show me their latest project." On board the [[ISS Enterprise (NX-01)|ISS Enterprise]], a Tellarite officer called Terev is tortured in Enterprise's agony booth, a new invention created by Major Reed and Phlox. Captain Maximilian Forrest, First Officer Jonathan Archer, Reed and Phlox stand and watch as the Tellarite suffers. Reed comments that the agony booth will be more much effective than any of the previous disciplinary methods which have been tried on Enterprise. Phlox seems pleased at the invention's capability to produce pain and comments that a synaptic scan calibrates the agony booth for each species. Archer seems less accepting of the torture device, although Captain Forrest remarks that there are particular advantages to a "good, old-fashioned flogging". Reed comments that the agony booth is exceptional because it is doesn't overwhelm a subject's nervous system like traditional forms of punishment can. He explains that traditional torture methods could sometimes make the brain feel nothing. However, Phlox adds that the agony booth's sensors keep the subject in a constant state of agony. When Archer asks why Terev is being punished, Reed states that he is uncertain but believes the Tellarite was late for a duty shift. He also opines that all Tellarites should be punished, as all members of their species are guilty of something. When Captain Forrest exits the room, Archer follows close behind. While they walk through a corridor, the first officer reminds Forrest of a proposal he made to venture into Tholian space. Archer has been informed of technology there which would give the Terran Empire a tactical advantage over the Tholians. However, the captain insists that Enterprise will carry out its orders to rendezvous with the Terran Empire assault fleet. Forrest argues that the Empire is attempting to crush a rebellion and Starfleet has no time to deal with the Tholians. Although Archer thinks that the Terran Empire could use the technology in Tholian space to win their war, Captain Forrest believes that Archer only wants to be seen as a hero. The first officer claims that he is not seeking glory and that his only care is to save the Terran Empire. When Forrest orders Archer to resume his station on the bridge, the first officer doesn't comply. Instead, he shouts that Captain Forrest is making a mistake. Seriously angered by Archer's behavior, the captain threatens his first officer that he will be thrown into the agony booth if his misconduct continues. However, Archer restrains himself, so Forrest soon leaves. In the captain's quarters, Forrest tells Hoshi Sato that he is reviewing status reports. Hoshi implies that the captain's quarters were primarily meant to be used for pleasure, not business. While Forrest sits at his desk, Hoshi falls into his arms and kisses him. When the captain raises the point that Hoshi is the one person aboard he doesn't mind surrendering to, she replies that she is probably the only person on the ship who doesn't want to kill him. Removing herself from Forrest's grasp, Hoshi reveals that she has heard rumors that the battle at Tau Ceti was successful. She informs the captain that the crew believe the war against the rebellion will soon be over. She imagines that she may soon return to teaching students in Brazil and believes it's likely that Forrest will be assigned to Starfleet Headquarters upon return to Earth. However, Hoshi is surprised to hear that Enterprise's confrontation was not as successful as she first thought. Forrest tells her that the Terran Empire lost twelve ships in the Tau Ceti star system. He informs Hoshi that she has been listening to propaganda and fears what will happen if the crew discover the truth. Interrupting Forrest, Hoshi advises him to forget about the war. She leans forward and kisses him again. As Enterprise continues through space at warp speed, Captain Forrest marches through a corridor, closely followed by a MACO. Opening a turbolift door for the captain, the MACO is shot by Malcolm Reed. When Forrest removes a weapon from his belt, Commander Archer rounds a corner and advises the captain to surrender. Archer is followed by Travis Mayweather and they each hold a phase pistol. Mayweather steps forward to remove Forrest's weapon from the captain's grasp and returns to his previous position. When Forrest angrily states that Archer will hang for his mutinous actions, the commander orders the MACOs to lock Forrest in the brig. Reed asks for permission to give the captain a quick and quiet death in the cargo bay, but Archer prefers that Forrest stays alive. As Major Reed begins to escort the captain to the brig, he indicates that he is still thinking of killing Forrest on the way there. Archer rushes forward and pins Reed against a bulkhead, aiming his phase pistol at the MACO. The commander warns that if Forrest is harmed in any way, Archer intends to personally kill Major Reed. When the MACO replies that he understands Archer's orders, the commander releases him. Reed shoves Forrest further through the corridor, as a Vulcan engineer stands nearby and watches. On the bridge, T'Pol slouches in the command chair. From a turbolift at the back of the room, Archer, Travis and a MACO enter. T'Pol moves from the chair and assumes a standing position. While Travis aims a weapon at the Vulcan, Archer tells her to stand aside. T'Pol asks where Forrest is located but Archer does not respond. Realizing that the commander is staging a mutiny, T'Pol turns to a security officer and orders him to contact security. With Archer's encouragement, Travis fires his weapon at the security officer, who falls to the ground. Archer gazes threateningly at T'Pol as he steps towards the command chair. Using a control on the arm of the chair, the commander initiates a shipwide communication. As Hoshi Sato reads a PADD in the captain's quarters, she listens to Archer's voice. The commander reports that Starfleet has ordered him to relieve Forrest of duty and take command of Enterprise. In sickbay, Phlox is studying dissected alien organisms when he hears Archer. The commander states that he has been instructed to take the starship on a vital mission into Tholian space. Archer also reveals that he has been prohibited from disclosing any further details of the mission. However, as Commander Tucker listens in Main engineering, Archer claims that the rebellion against the Terran Empire will finally be crushed if Enterprise is successful. On the bridge, Archer admits that Enterprise's crew has more combat experience than any other crew in Starfleet. The commander continues to build morale by stating that he has confidence in the crew and is certain that they will be victorious again. When he performs a salute, every officer on the bridge returns the gesture. As the officers return to their duties, T'Pol ensures that she and Archer are not being watched. The commander nods to a crew member at the communications station, who closes the shipwide comm channel. T'Pol approaches Archer and maintains that Enterprise has not received orders from Starfleet. Archer follows T'Pol to the science station and responds that his orders were sent on a private channel. The Vulcan continues to doubt Archer and asks to see his orders. The commander agrees to eventually allow her that request and instructs the helmsman to follow a new heading at maximum warp. He then turns to the MACO who accompanied him to the bridge and orders her to escort T'Pol to cargo bay two. Archer notifies the Vulcan that she will find a Suliban cloaking device there. In order to complete Enterprise's mission, T'Pol will be required to help Commander Tucker install the cloaking device in Main engineering. Once she leaves with the MACO, Archer assumes a comfortable sitting position in the command chair. :"Enterprise starlog, ''Captain Jonathan Archer. The crew has accepted the change of command without incident. Chief Engineer Tucker reports we'll have cloaking capability within six hours."'' In his ready room, Archer examines a shotgun while T'Pol looks over his instructions from Starfleet. She comments that the orders appear to be authentic, but Archer seems to believe that whether they are is irrelevant. He claims that all he needs from T'Pol is her loyalty. Reluctantly, the Vulcan accepts Archer's leadership. The captain shows her the shotgun that he has been studying and informs her that Zefram Cochrane used it to kill the first Vulcan who walked on Earth. Archer wonders how history would have happened if Cochrane had not defeated the Vulcan invasion force. He theorizes that Humans may have become slaves to the Vulcans, the opposite of the current relationship between the two species. When T'Pol argues that she is not a slave, Archer reminds her that she is Vulcan, a fact that he tells her to always remember. Although the captain asks when Enterprise will reach Tholian space, T'Pol replies that the starship has probably already entered a star system that the Tholians have annexed. Archer shows her a piece of technology that carries an encoded warp signature. He orders T'Pol to analyze the signature and to notify him when she finds it in space. The Vulcan attempts to leave in a hurry, but Archer stops her. When he reveals his intention to promote T'Pol to first officer, she mentions that Reed is due to be promoted to that position. The captain replies that Reed is an overly ambitious officer who has trouble following orders. However, the Vulcan recalls that Archer has made no effort to hide his dislike of her species. The captain explains that T'Pol's promotion is an acknowledgment that Vulcans and their technology have helped the Terran Empire. The captain dismisses his new first officer and returns Zefram Cochrane's weapon to its display. Later, Archer briefs Travis Mayweather. As the captain's personal guard, Mayweather will have his own quarters and better food. Archer also states that his personal guard will take orders from him and no-one else. Mayweather begins to congratulate Archer on his brilliant tactical planning. However, the captain tells Travis that he will lose his promotion if he is not quiet. When Mayweather hears a growling noise, he looks down to see Porthos, lying on the floor. Archer mentions that the dog hasn't eaten its dinner yet. The door to the captain's quarters signals and Hoshi Sato enters. After Mayweather leaves to resume his post outside the door, Hoshi accuses Archer of lying. She appears to be sure that the captain did not receive any orders from Starfleet. When Hoshi states that she thought a mutiny was beyond Archer's capabilities, the captain takes the remark as a compliment. Archer claims that Forrest is safe, but Hoshi believes that the captain may have thrown him out of an airlock. To prove Forrest's safety, Archer permits Hoshi to view a live video transmission that shows him in the brig. Archer warns that Forrest will be executed if Hoshi causes any problems. The captain then asks for Sato's allegiance and expertise. Hoshi attempts to seduce Archer, but she soon realizes that the captain has never forgiven her for leaving him and apologizes for ending their relationship. She opines that Archer should have been in command of Enterprise since the starship left spacedock and recalls that several Starfleet admirals conspired against him receiving the promotion he deserved. Hoshi reminds the new captain that, in accordance with tradition, everything that Forrest once had now belongs to Archer, including the captain's woman. As they embrace in a passionate kiss, Hoshi removes a knife from under her uniform. She raises the weapon, but Archer stops her from stabbing him. When the captain hears T'Pol hailing him, he tells Hoshi that he thinks their relationship should be nothing more than professional. Pushing Sato onto his bed, he finally responds to T'Pol's hails. The Vulcan reports that Enterprise is approaching the warp signature. Archer replies that he will soon be on the bridge and deactivates the comm channel. Stepping towards Hoshi, he threatens her with the knife she tried to attack him with. Archer warns her to be in a better mood when he returns to his quarters later and walks out the door. As Enterprise drops out of warp, Reed announces Archer's presence on the bridge. T'Pol relinquishes command to Archer and notifies him that the vessel is nearing its target - a Tholian starship. Major Reed reports that the enemy craft is being piloted by a single Tholian. Archer orders Reed to activate the tractor emitters, but the Tholian vessel detects Enterprise and its weapon systems come on-line. When the bridge trembles, Archer instructs Reed to disable the Tholian ship without harming the vessel's occupant. In space, Enterprise fires a volley of photonic torpedoes as it continues to pursue the enemy craft. However, on the bridge of the Starfleet ship, T'Pol informs the captain of an overload in the Tholian vessel's reactor. Archer shouts at Reed, blaming him for the incident, but the Major denies responsibility. T'Pol explains that the Tholian pilot may be attempting to destroy his own ship. Archer tells T'Pol to beam the Tholian into Enterprise's Decon chamber, shortly before the alien craft explodes. When Archer becomes concerned, T'Pol relieves his stress by confirming that the Tholian is now aboard Enterprise. The captain uses the command chair to contact sickbay and directs Phlox to modify the atmosphere in the Decon chamber. The Denobulan doctor leaves his study of a dissected alien lifeform to operate a control station. Monitoring the Decon chamber, Phlox begins to adjust its temperature. He smiles as the Tholian prisoner screams in extreme agony. Act Two Outside the Decon chamber, Archer, Mayweather and T'Pol meet with Phlox, Hoshi Sato and Major Reed. The Tholian is securely imprisoned within the chamber. When the captain asks about the alien's condition, Phlox mentions that Tholians are an hermaphroditic species, with characteristics of both sexes. In response to Archer's question, the doctor replies that the Tholian prisoner's biosigns seem to be stable. The captain then asks Hoshi whether the alien will understand him if he speaks to it. After consulting a device, Hoshi nods. Archer opens a comm channel to the interior of the Decon chamber and prepares to talk with the Tholian. Phlox, Reed, Archer and Hoshi peer through a window and into the chamber beyond, but the Tholian is hidden from sight. Suddenly, the alien jumps into clear view, directly behind the window. Archer and Hoshi are shocked by the Tholian's sudden appearance. The captain angrily looks at Phlox before he turns back to the window and informs the alien of its situation. Archer warns the Tholian that if it does not respond to his questions, the alien will be harmed. When it begins to respond in its own language - a mixture of high-pitched sqeaks and squeals - Hoshi translates that the Tholian is demanding to be released. The captain asks where the Tholians are holding the Terran ship that they captured, but the alien responds that its people will destroy the vessel when they find it. To make the Tholian more co-operative, Phlox suggests altering the life support in the Decon chamber. Archer steps back to allow the doctor access to a control panel below the window. Phlox comments that he is decreasing the temperature inside the chamber by fifty degrees, shortly before he makes the modification. The Tholian reacts in pain and discomfort, screeching as it steps back from the window. When the captain demands that the alien answers his question, the Tholian insults Archer. Consequently, the captain orders Phlox to lower the temperature by another fifty degrees. As the alien begins to shake, Phlox explains that its exoskeleton is starting to fracture. Finally, the Tholian agrees to help Archer. After the captain indicates for Phlox to raise the chamber's temperature, the alien reveals that the Terran vessel is in the Vintaak system. When Archer hears a strange noise, T'Pol reports that the Tholian is attempting to send a short-range transmission. Eventually, the officers determine that the Tholian is using its crystalline structure to transmit a distress call. Major Reed advises the captain to immediately transport the alien into space, but Archer wants the Tholian kept alive until its information can be verified. The captain orders Phlox to find a method of rendering the alien unconscious. Accompanying T'Pol and Mayweather, Archer leaves Phlox, Hoshi and Major Reed to study the Tholian. The crew of Enterprise soon finds the Defiant NCC-1764 in a dock on one of the moons. Archer turns up on the bridge and tells Forrest that they can successfully board the ship and take the technology, so that the Terran Empire will become much stronger. Forrest dismisses this, saying that he intends to blow the ship up, sending Archer and an away team including T'Pol. As Archer enters the ship, there are dead crewmen, and Archer takes people to the bridge. As this happens, Enterprise comes under attack by Tholian ships, ensnaring it in their deadly web. Forrest orders the crew to escape pods, whilst he buys them some time. Enterprise is destroyed as Archer looks on... "To be continued" Background Information *This is the seven hundredth live action episode of Star Trek. *This episode, along with the second part, feature a completely different opening credits that chronicles the history of human warfare and interstellar domination of the Terran Empire, as opposed to the regular opening sequence depicting peaceful exploration. Featured are World War I troop tactics, a squadron of Stuka dive-bombers, aerial bombings, a different moon landing, an T-90 Tank, an F-15, and a battle between Enterprise and the Xindi. Also, to help deliver the message that all is not right, the words "Star Trek: Enterprise" in the opening title change from white print to black print. The opening credits include scenes from other Paramount media, notably the television series Call of Glory and the feature film The Hunt for Red October. *These two episodes differ from other mirror universe episodes of TOS, and DS9. Instead of someone travelling to the mirror universe, both of the episodes, from beginning to end, took place in the mirror universe. *James Cromwell and Cully Fredricksen both appear, courtesy of footage from Star Trek: First Contact, playing alternate versions of their Star Trek: First Contact characters, Zefram Cochrane and the unnamed Vulcan captain who made first contact with humanity on April 5, 2063 (respectively). *The fate of the USS Defiant (NCC-1764) from the TOS episode "The Tholian Web" is made known in this episode. Even though the original series producers neglected to create an assignment patch for the Defiant, one was designed for this episode. It is an angled insignia similar to the registry pennant on TOS starships. This shape was also seen as a Starfleet insignia on various TOS starbases. *The producers paid an amazing amount of attention to detail in this episode, even positioning the bodies of the Defiant's Captain and the Redshirt who died strangling him exactly where they appeared in TOS: "The Tholian Web". Even T'Pol's diagnosis of his broken neck was accurate. *For the first time in the series, Escape pods are used by the Enterprise crew. They are ejected though removable panels around the saucer. This episode marks the first appearance of a phaser in the ENT series. *This episode also shows what a Tholian's entire body shape looks like. *The plastic enclosure that makes up the agony booth in ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly" is a reuse of the quarantine chamber setpiece from ENT:"Cold Station 12". *While trapped in the Tholian web, the Enterprise is able to fire weapons through their cloak. *This episode marks the final appearance of Vaughn Armstrong on the series. Memorable Quotes "Live long and prosper." -- Zephram Cochrane shoots and kills the Vulcan Captain. -- "Board their ship, take everything you can!" : - Vulcan captain, "Grizzled Man" "Something about ... your maternal ancestor." : - Hoshi Sato (mirror), translating Tholian "I did you a favour once." "We agreed never to discuss that." "And I haven't." "I'd hardly call it a favor, you enjoyed yourself." "Several times as I recall. So, how many years is it 'til your pon farr comes around again?" : - Charles Tucker III (mirror), T'Pol (mirror) "Will you kindly die?" : - Dr. Phlox (mirror) Links and References Cast * Scott Bakula as Jonathan Archer (mirror) * Jolene Blalock as T'Pol (mirror) * John Billingsley as Phlox (mirror) * Connor Trinneer as Charles Tucker III (mirror) * Dominic Keating as Malcolm Reed (mirror) * Anthony Montgomery as Travis Mayweather (mirror) * Linda Park as Hoshi Sato (mirror) Guest stars * Vaughn Armstrong as Maximilian Forrest * Cully Fredricksen as the mirror Vulcan captain (Mirror universe people) * James Cromwell as Zefram Cochrane (mirror) References agonizer; agony booth; Biggs (mirror); Black; Brazil; brig; cloaking device; USS Defiant (NCC-1764); delta radiation; Emperor; ISS Enterprise (NX-01); escape pods; Fleet Admiral; flux coupler; Gardner (mirror); gas giant; Gorlan Station (Gorlan); Major; MACO; mirror universe; mutiny; pon farr; Porthos (mirror); Sergeant; shotgun; Suliban; Tau Ceti system; Tellarites; Terrans; Terran Empire; Terev; Tholians; Tholian starships; Tholian web; tri-cobalt warhead; Vintaak system; Vulcans; Vulcan mind meld; Vulcan Science Directorate Chronology * Mirror universe history * 2063 * 2155 * 2268 Category:ENT episodes nl:In a Mirror, Darkly, Deel I